Frank b



(No Moda.) l l I', B. RAB.

A YOKBAND BRUSH HOLDER. No. 440,817. Patented Nov. 18, v1890.

l 'Y I n" x l I 1 l l l l Tlll ym/zyeud PETERS cq., mom-Lkw., wAsmNqwn uc UNITED l STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK B. RAE, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE DETROIT ELECTRICALWORKS, OF SAME PLACE.

YOKE AND BRUSH-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 440,817, dated November18, 1890.

Application filed August 9, 1890. Serial No. 361,560. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK B. RAE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Detroit, Wayne county, Michigan, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Yokes and Brush-Holders, of which thefollowing is a specification. j

My invention relates to yokes and brushholders for electric generatorsor motors, and is intended more particularly for use of railway-motorsha ving carbon brushes, although it is evident it can be used in otherand various combinations.

The object of my invention is a simple, cheap, and effective yoke andbrush-holder adapted for the purposes set forth, and which is capable ofadjustment on the motor and may be readily removed and applied thereto.

To these ends my invention consists in a yoke and brush-holderconstructed and arranged substantially as hereinafter pointed out. l

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side View showingthe yoke and brush-holder. Fig. 2 is a plan View showing the yoke andbrush-holder in position with one brush bearing on the commutator. Fig.3 is an end view of the same.

In the use ofl electric motors, especially on electric railroads, wherethe brushes are arranged to bear upon the commutator at an angle, it isdesirable to have some simple and ready means of attaching and detachingthe brushes or of adjusting them in position, and it is with this cbject in view that I have made my present invention.

The yoke is made in two parts, practically the same in construction, andthese parts are provided with means whereby they may be secured andadjusted on the stationary part of the armature-bearing.

In the drawings, A A are two pieces of a collar which is preferably madeof brass, but

maybe of otherncn=magnetic material. These two pieces are provided withprojections a a',

which are furnished with bolts or other clamping device B. In thedrawings I have shown the bolt B as having an extended handle andprovided with a screwthread reduced end b. The other side of the clamps,as shown, is

held together lby an ordinary screw rod or bolt provided with nuts, and,if desired, the rod or handle may be made as indicated by the dottedlines B. Itwill thus be seen that the two parts of the collar can beeasily removed from or placed on the stationary part of thearmature-bearing, and they can be adj usted around said bearing, so asto bring the brushes at the proper point of contact with the commutatorM. The two parts of the collar are made somewhat smaller than thecircumference of the bearing upon which they are placed, and thus, byadjusting the screw rod or handle, the brushes can be caused to bothmove upward or downward with relation to the line of commutation, andthis I nd to be an important feature, as this line sometimes changesslightly by reason of wear of the commutator or otherwise, and thus thebrushes can be adjusted to any position of lead which may be necessaryto iind the nonsparking point on the commutator. Secured to thesecollars in any suitable way are arms or extensions C C', which arepreferably made of leatheroid or other equivalent insulating material,and which are shown as secured in recesses in the collar by bolts orscrews c. These collars and their attached arms constitute the yokewhich supports the brushholder proper, and it will be noticed that theyoke is made in two separable com plementary parts which are adjustablewith relation to each other in the manner before described. Secured inrecesses in these arms are stems D, carrying at their outer ends thebrush-holders E, which in the present instance are shown in the form ofrectangular slots to receive the carbon or equivalent brush-plates F,and these are held endwise against the surface of the commutator M.

In order to maintain the brushes in position, I subject them tospring-pressure, which forces their ends against the commutator, and todo this I provide the brush-holders E with an extension or frame G, inwhich I pivotally mount a lever H and connect the eX- trernities of theextension and lever by a rod I, upon which is adj ustably mounted aspring J, which is arranged to cause the lever to bear constantly uponthe rear of the brush.

IOO

The upper portion of the lever II is made in two arms h t, which arepivoted to the end of the lever and curved upwardly to bear against theend of the brush, but which can 5 be turned down, as indicated in dottedlines, Fig. 3, when it is desired to remove the brush from its holder.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated the preferredembodiment thereof, 1o it will be understood that I do not limit myselfto the exact construction and arrangement of parts shown, as these canbe modified by those skilled in the art Without departing from theprinciple of the invention.

l. A brush-holding yoke for electric motors, provided with a collar madein two complementary portions connected together, each portion beingsomewhat smaller than half of zo the circumference of the bearingtherefor, and connecting devices between the two parts, whereby they canbe adj usted with relation to each other around the armatu re-bearin gs,substantially as described.

2. A bruslieholding yoke for electric motors, provided with a collarmade in two complementary portions adjustably connected together, eachportion of the collar being somewhat smaller than half of thecircumference 3o of the bearing upon which it is placed and providedwith arms carrying rectangular brush-holders, whereby the brush and theparts of the collar carrying them can bc adjusted with relation to cachother 'around ythe armatiue-bearings, substantially as described.

The combination, with the brush-holder having an extension, of a leverpivoted thereto and bearing on the free end ot the brush in the holder,a rod connected to the extension and passing through the end ot' thelever, and a spring adj ustably mounted on the rod and bearing on thelever, substantially as dcscribed.

4. The combinatiomwith the brush-holder, of a spring-actuated lever, thesaid lever having arms pivoted thereto and arranged to bear upon thebrush, substantially as described.

5. A yoke and brush-holder for electric 1notors, consisting of a collarin two port-ions, a screw-handle adjust-ably connecting the portionsofthe collar, insulating-a rms socketcd in the collar, brush-holdingstems mounted in the arms supporting rectangular brushhold ers,extensions connected to said brush-holders, spring-actuated leversmounted in the extensions, and pivot-.ed arms connected to the leversfor bearing on the brushes, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK l5. RAE.

"Witnesses:

M. B. ODocntna'rv, N. LINDoP.

